HB 2031
In CommitteeHouse
Fishing and hunting licenses
Concerning recreational fishing and hunting licenses.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill updates Washington’s recreational fishing and hunting license fees, eligibility rules, and reporting requirements. It introduces new discounts for veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities, adds a future surcharge authority for inflation, and redirects specific license revenues to dedicated accounts for wildlife and fisheries management.
- Updates definitions in RCW 77.08.010, including clarifying terms like 'angling gear', 'bag limit', 'residents', 'youth', and 'intentionally feed'.
- Requires hunter education certification for first-time hunters under 18 or born after January 1, 1972; allows one-time deferral for first-time applicants and waives the firearms portion for certain military and law enforcement personnel.
- Adds or adjusts fees for all recreational fishing and hunting licenses, endorsements, and permits—including new discounted rates for seniors, disabled veterans, active-duty military, and people with disabilities.
- Introduces a new surcharge authority (effective September 1, 2027) allowing the commission to raise fees uniformly to offset inflationary cost increases approved in the biennial budget.
- Requires harvest reporting for hunters and Dungeness crab fishers, with administrative penalties (up to $10) for noncompliance, and mandates annual reporting of compliance and penalty data to the legislature.
- Revises catch record card fees (e.g., first card free, additional cards $15.18), halibut card fees, and Dungeness crab endorsement fees—with dedicated revenue streams for gear removal, fisheries monitoring, and management.
- Creates new fee tables for fishing and hunting licenses, including combination licenses and temporary licenses (1–3 days), and authorizes discounts for seniors, veterans, and disabled individuals.
Who is affected
- License applicants — Residents, nonresidents, seniors (age 70+), and youth (under 16) applying for fishing or hunting licenses will see updated license fees and new discount options, including for disabled veterans and active-duty military.
- Hunters — Hunters must complete hunter education (or request a one-time deferral), and those applying for special hunts (e.g., big game, turkey, migratory birds) face new or adjusted application and permit fees.
- Recreational anglers — Fishing license holders using catch record cards (e.g., for Dungeness crab or halibut) will pay new or adjusted fees per card, and some cards will now be free for temporary or youth license holders.
- Eligible veterans, seniors, and military personnel — Active-duty military, disabled veterans, seniors, and members of the state or national guard may qualify for discounted or free licenses under new eligibility rules.
- Department of Fish and Wildlife — The department of fish and wildlife will implement new fee structures, reporting requirements, and enforcement tools—including administrative penalties for missed harvest reports—and must deposit specific license revenues into dedicated accounts for fisheries and wildlife management.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill creates new discounted licenses for disabled veterans, seniors (65+ with qualifying disabilities), people who are blind or developmentally disabled, and active-duty military — many of whom are low- or fixed-income. The $6.90 senior freshwater license and free youth combination licenses significantly reduce access barriers for historically underserved groups.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 12 (new); Sec. 17 (fee tables)The bill allows the commission to offer combination licenses at or below the sum of individual license fees, and explicitly authorizes discounts for seniors and disabled veterans. This enables future cost-saving bundling and targeted affordability — especially for low-income families who fish and hunt recreationally.
FinancialPeopleRef: Sec. 11(2)(d) (new two-pole endorsement); Sec. 16 & 17 (fee tables)The bill requires annual reporting of harvest compliance and penalty data to the legislature, and mandates that surcharge revenue be used only to offset inflationary costs approved in the budget. This improves transparency and prevents arbitrary fee hikes, supporting long-term public trust in wildlife management.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3(2)(b) & (3)(b); Sec. 18 (new surcharge authority)The bill requires hunter education certification for first-time hunters under 18 or born after 1/1/1972, with a one-time deferral and firearms waiver for military/law enforcement. This improves hunter safety and reduces accidental discharges — especially important for youth and novice hunters.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 4(1)(a); Sec. 11(2)(d) (two-pole endorsement)The bill dedicates 11% of Dungeness crab endorsement revenue to gear removal and disposal of derelict shellfish gear, and allocates percentages of fishing license fees to dedicated accounts for fisheries monitoring, habitat enhancement, and hatchery operations. This directly supports marine ecosystem health and sustainable fish stocks.
EnvironmentPeopleRef: Sec. 7(6)(a)(i)(A); Sec. 7(6)(a)(ii); Sec. 8 (dedicated revenue streams)
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill authorizes a uniform surcharge on all license fees to offset inflationary cost increases approved in the biennial budget. While this preserves funding for management, it creates a future mechanism for recurring fee hikes without legislative approval, potentially increasing costs for license holders annually.
FinancialRef: Sec. 18 (new), effective 9/1/2027The bill imposes administrative penalties up to $10 for failure to submit harvest or catch record card reports, and requires noncompliant individuals to pay the penalty before obtaining a new license. While modest, this creates a new administrative burden and potential cost for everyday anglers and hunters, especially low-income or elderly participants who may forget or struggle with reporting.
FinancialRef: Sec. 3(2)(a) and (3)(a); Sec. 17 (fee tables)The bill significantly increases base license fees across most categories (e.g., annual combination license rises from $45 to $62.79 for residents, big game packages increase by ~30–40% for residents), while discounts for seniors, disabled veterans, and youth are modestly expanded. Because most discounts are percentage-based or capped at low values (e.g., $6.90 senior freshwater license), lower-income license holders still face substantial net cost increases.
FinancialRef: Sec. 16 & 17 (fee tables); Sec. 12 (discounts)The bill expands discounted licenses to include residents aged 65+ with service-connected disabilities and blind or developmentally disabled residents, but excludes many low-income seniors without disabilities. The $6.90 senior freshwater license (a 77% drop from $34.50) is only available to those 65+ with qualifying disabilities — a narrow subset of seniors — while most seniors pay full price or no discount at all.
FinancialRef: Sec. 12 (new); Sec. 17 (fee tables)The bill increases fees for youth licenses (e.g., youth big game rises from $18 to $18.30–$40 depending on package), but youth are excluded from senior and disability discounts. This disproportionately burdens low-income families with multiple children or those in rural communities where hunting/fishing is a primary outdoor activity.
FinancialRef: Sec. 17 (fee tables); Sec. 11(2)(d) (two-pole endorsement)
Who Is Most Affected
Low- and fixed-income seniors (65+) without qualifying disabilities will pay significantly higher license fees (e.g., $34.50 → $6.90 only for disabled seniors; most seniors pay full price), with no offsetting discount. This group bears disproportionate cost increases relative to benefit.
Low-income families with youth hunters/fishers benefit from free youth combination licenses and discounted senior licenses for disabled members, but face higher fees for youth licenses and no discounts for non-disabled seniors in the household.
Disabled veterans and active-duty military receive significant discounts (e.g., free big game licenses for National Guard members, discounted combination licenses), and may benefit from expanded access to hunting opportunities. However, non-disabled veterans and reservists receive no special pricing.
The department gains new authority to impose inflation-based surcharges and enforce harvest reporting, improving budget stability and data collection. However, it also faces increased administrative responsibilities (e.g., verifying disability status, managing deferral programs).
Recreational anglers and hunters benefit from dedicated funding for fisheries management, gear removal, and habitat enhancement — improving long-term resource sustainability. However, they face higher license fees and new reporting penalties, especially low-income participants.